LaLiga more technical than Premier League - Bale

Having swapped the Premier League for LaLiga back in 2013, Gareth Bale feels playing in Spain has brought out the best in him.

Gareth Bale claims LaLiga is "more technical" than the Premier League and the emphasis on one-touch passing has improved his game.

The Wales star left English football behind when he departed Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013 in what was at the time a world-record transfer.

He has won two Champions League titles at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Spain's top-flight crown has eluded him.

That could change this year, with Zinedine Zidane's side three points clear at the top with a game in hand, and Bale outlined the increased technical demands in LaLiga.

"I'd say that La Liga is slightly more technical than the Premier League," the 27-year-old told The Telegraph. "There's a lot of one-touch, close-range passing and I think that has definitely improved my play in small areas. I definitely feel like I'm developing.

"Playing with and for the best can only help you to improve.

"Zidane is a man that demands respect – he has won everything. He knows everything in Spanish and European football and knows Real Madrid in and out."

Madrid remain in the hunt for an unprecedented second consecutive Champions League title, with Bayern Munich awaiting in the quarter-finals, and Bale is dreaming of a domestic and European double.

"It would be an incredible achievement, especially as no club has won the Champions League in back-to-back seasons since the new format came in," added Bale. "Both are so important to the club and the fans so it would be amazing to do the double."